SAIS Fall 2016

[coffeeandtravel]

It appears that I only got loans, too...the email was super confusing. Unless I'm able to at least get some kind of funding there's no way I could justify taking out that much in loans. And I was just starting to look forward to an Italian fall  

[irapplicant1776]

It looks like everyone got in but no one can afford it!

[coffeeandtravel]

2 minutes ago, irapplicant1776 said:

It looks like everyone got in but no one can afford it!

Yeah, how are these people who don't get funding affording this?? Do they all just have rich parents or are they actually taking out $120k in loans? I would imagine that the majority of the 400 students per class don't get that much funding

[coffeeandtravel]

Not to sound cynical or anything ^^ I know some people work hard to save money for grad school, I just haven't been able to with the various jobs I've worked in order to get accepted into grad programs haha 

[irapplicant1776]

1 minute ago, coffeeandtravel said:

Not to sound cynical or anything ^^ I know some people work hard to save money for grad school, I just haven't been able to with the various jobs I've worked in order to get accepted into grad programs haha 

Haha I feel you. I'm in the Peace Corps. It sucks that money will be such a big factor, but that's life I guess.

[coffeeandtravel]

11 minutes ago, irapplicant1776 said:

Haha I feel you. I'm in the Peace Corps. It sucks that money will be such a big factor, but that's life I guess.

It looks like we are in at a few of the same places! Where are you leaning towards now?

[irapplicant1776]

4 minutes ago, coffeeandtravel said:

It looks like we are in at a few of the same places! Where are you leaning towards now?

Sigh, I'm going back and forth. My family is advising me to choose American, but after getting into SAIS I started re-reading about their program and got really excited.

I'm emailing Foreign Service Officers to see what advice they have, as that's my goal after I graduate. 

Edited March 12, 2016 by irapplicant1776

[coffeeandtravel]

1 minute ago, irapplicant1776 said:

Sigh, I'm going back and forth. My family is advising me to choose American, but after getting into SAIS I started re-reading about their program and got really excited.

I'm emailing Foreign Service Officers to see what advise they have, as that's my goal after I graduate. 

Idk if it helps but I've heard that the name of your school doesn't really matter for FS. What are your thoughts on Korbel? 

Edited March 12, 2016 by coffeeandtravel

[Stars88]

I was accepted to the DC campus, $22,500 fellowship for first year. It's too bad there's no graduate assistantships we can do in the 2nd year to waive tuition.

[irapplicant1776]

1 minute ago, coffeeandtravel said:

Idk if it helps but I've heard that the name of your school doesn't really matter for FS. What are your thoughts on Korbel? 

Yeah I know, that will definitely influence my decision.

Korbel...great school but I think it's overpriced unless you get a huge fellowship. Less opportunities for internships and networking than in DC. 

[coffeeandtravel]

1 minute ago, irapplicant1776 said:

Yeah I know, that will definitely influence my decision.

Korbel...great school but I think it's overpriced unless you get a huge fellowship. Less opportunities for internships and networking than in DC. 

Yeah I agree that it's overpriced. I only got $20k, but I think with the lesser price of living I could maybe make it work. I would plan on working part time to offset the costs, which would be easier there than trying to work in DC while attending SAIS or MSFS (if I get in) because I think that academically it will be at least a little less challenging. The other option is GW but honestly I don't really love the idea of having night classes and we haven't heard back about funding yet

[ParisDreams]

ah man, this sucks. I am in the same boat as you guys. Honestly, the sticker prices on these programs are SO ridiculous. Unless I get a substantial fellowship from somewhere, I am going to take an extra year and apply to cheaper state schools for next year. I don't think the SAIS name is worth the loans (especially since my goals are to be an FSO).

I almost wish I'd been rejected. It would be a lot easier that way.

[coffeeandtravel]

Not to sound prick-ish, but I'm a bit upset that I didn't get at least a little in the way of funding from SAIS. Le sigh

Edited March 12, 2016 by coffeeandtravel

[ParisDreams]

You don't sound prick-ish at all After I got the acceptance, I was already starting to day dream about life in DC, haha. Not to sound dramatic. And then the fellowship letter happened:P Does anyone know from last year is people got offered additional funds later on? I know SIPA, what you see is what you get but what about SAIS?

 

Edited March 12, 2016 by ParisDreams

[monocle]

I actually applied to the dual degree with Tsinghua, so I'm waiting to hear back on that end.. but Tsinghua's tuition is so cheap that it's like getting a fellowship the first year, plus you get a guaranteed $5000 (not much, but it's something) when you return to the US.

I've thought about that option with SIPA as well. Spend the second year abroad and save massive amounts of money, but get two degrees for the same amount of time.. Though, I've also been saving for many years and could probably afford the first year, hopefully with assistance the second.

[beefmaster]

Admitted to IDEV but no funding. Won't be attending.

[6speed!]

Admitted to two years in DC and couldn't be happier! I'm hoping Georgetown comes through, but if not I'll almost certainly be going to SAIS. I'm excited to be in DC and take advantage of everything the city has to offer - it's just the place to be to put the odds in your favor if you're looking at IR jobs. 

However, if I do choose to go with SAIS I'm thinking of changing my concentration from General International Relations to Strategic Studies. I've been hearing mixed things about the General IR route. On the plus side it offers great flexibility in the types of courses you can take to satisfy the concentration requirements, and thus you can sort of customize your curriculum and gain a thorough understanding of more than one issue area. That said, regional and IDEV courses can't count towards satisfying the requirements. More importantly, General IR supposedly lacks a sense of 'community' since the students are all sort of doing their own thing - there isn't a core hub for the concentration and there is a serious lack of General IR-focused activities, trips, resources, etc. I think this could be a real problem when it comes to the potential for networking within your concentration and maxing out what SAIS has to offer. If I went with General IR I'd probably focus my studies a bit towards the strategic/security angle anyways, and given Strategic Studies' reputation as having strong group cohesion and funding/resources, it seems like this might be the better way to go.

Does anyone have any insights on the General IR route relative to the other concentrations? It seems SAIS is known for having strong regional and Strategic Studies concentrations. Does anyone have any thoughts on the American Foreign Policy concentration and what it has to offer compared to the others? It seems like it would be a major waste to go to a school like SAIS and not take advantage of every possible networking and career-boosting variable, particularly when it comes to your concentration/cohort. 

[Pichichi]

Anyone here accepted with no funding, but seriously considering SAIS?

I have a hard time telling myself it's not worth it despite the price tag, especially when I've received peanuts from every school I've been accepted to. That said, I do have the ability to live with my folks in DC, which lowers the cost considerably. 

 

[Colocho]

2 minutes ago, Pichichi said:

Anyone here accepted with no funding, but seriously considering SAIS?

I have a hard time telling myself it's not worth it despite the price tag, especially when I've received peanuts from every school I've been accepted to. That said, I do have the ability to live with my folks in DC, which lowers the cost considerably. 

 

I can't justify spending that much on a master's degree with a low ceiling for potential future earnings... but I'm in the same dilema. Haven't heard from SAIS about $ yet but I don't expect them to match Fletcher's offer, which would leave me 80k in debt upon graduation. Curious to know what others think about this!

[ZebraFinch]

5 minutes ago, Pichichi said:

Anyone here accepted with no funding, but seriously considering SAIS?

I have a hard time telling myself it's not worth it despite the price tag, especially when I've received peanuts from every school I've been accepted to. That said, I do have the ability to live with my folks in DC, which lowers the cost considerably. 

 

Honestly, in this position I would wait a year and re-apply. I had to do that. Last year I got waitlisted at my top choice, rejected for my second choice and little funding at the one school that accepted me. I worked very hard on my profile this year, gained some more work experience, and got accepted with funding at all my choices. This field isn't lucrative enough to justify taking out a small mortgage for a Master's.

[Pichichi]

4 minutes ago, Colocho said:

I can't justify spending that much on a master's degree with a low ceiling for potential future earnings... but I'm in the same dilema. Haven't heard from SAIS about $ yet but I don't expect them to match Fletcher's offer, which would leave me 80k in debt upon graduation. Curious to know what others think about this!

How much do you reckon SAIS would leave you in debt? I was waitlisted over at Fletcher, but accepted at GW, AU and UMD (in-state tuition). 

 

ZebraFinch, I appreciate the response. Was the funding you received a considerable difference? If you don't mind answering either, what did you do in between last year and this year that differed to your time prior to your first application? I've been out of school for 3 years and have work experience, albeit next to nothing in earnings. The SAIS network and professional opportunities/employment outcomes are among the biggest draws to the school for me. 

[ZebraFinch]

The funding was very, very different. I received the Pickering fellowship this year, and from the schools, I got half tuition off Georgetown, an as of yet unknown fellowship from SAIS, etc. Last year I only got 1/3 tuition from Korbel.

[irapplicant1776]

24 minutes ago, ZebraFinch said:

The funding was very, very different. I received the Pickering fellowship this year, and from the schools, I got half tuition off Georgetown, an as of yet unknown fellowship from SAIS, etc. Last year I only got 1/3 tuition from Korbel.

Wait, so you've already heard from Pickering and Georgetown?

[ZebraFinch]

13 minutes ago, irapplicant1776 said:

Wait, so you've already heard from Pickering and Georgetown?

I was a Pickering alternate last year and was told I'm a fellow this year. I heard from Georgetown about a week ago.

[pubpol101]

1 minute ago, ZebraFinch said:

I was a Pickering alternate last year and was told I'm a fellow this year. I heard from Georgetown about a week ago.

When did you hear back? I haven't received anything from Pickering this year--rejection or acceptances. And I thought that this year's application process was supposed to only have finalist notifications sent out by the end of March--I thought the final fellowships were supposed to be distributed mid-April.